Derrick Henry
The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has issued a draft request for proposals for the Sounder for Microwave-Based Applications, or SMBA, requirement with the aim of collecting from interested parties input about various aspects of the upcoming solicitation.
SMBA Requirement
According to a sources sought notice posted Friday on SAM.gov, comments are being sought not only to promote competition but also help determine the reasonableness and feasibility of the SMBA requirement, which calls for the design, development and support of SMBA instruments.
The instruments will work to collect data that is used to calculate the vertical distribution of temperature, moisture and pressure in the Earth’s atmosphere. The instruments will be housed within Series-1 satellites under the Near Earth Orbit Network, or NEON, Program, which aims to deploy advanced microwave sounders in low Earth orbit to collect data on the atmosphere’s physical properties that could be used in weather forecasting.
The NEON Program is a collaborative effort between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Important Dates
Interested parties have until May 9 to submit comments or questions. The final RFP is expected to be released by July 17.
The upcoming solicitation is expected to result in a cost plus award fee contract with a segregated cost plus fixed fee line item for task orders, though alternate contract types may be taken into consideration based on feedback from industry.
The contract is expected to be awarded on Aug. 18, 2026.
